Attitudes towards anorexia nervosa: the impact of framing on blame and stigma

Abstract

Objective: We examined experimentally the way in which exposure to a sociocultural versus a biological/genetic explanation of the etiology of anorexia nervosa (AN) differentially affected attitudes towards AN.

Method: Undergraduate nursing students were randomly assigned to read information emphasizing either biological/genetic or sociocultural factors in the development of AN. They then completed a series of questionnaires assessing their attitudes towards individuals with AN. Nonparametric tests were used to evaluate attitudinal differences between groups.

Results: Those who were exposed to a biological/genetic explanation of the causes of AN tended to blame individuals with AN less than those exposed to a sociocultural explanation, although all results were not robust to correction for multiple comparisons.

Conclusion: If these results are replicated in larger, population-based samples, wider dissemination of information regarding the biological and genetic underpinnings of AN should be considered as a possible pathway in decreasing the blame-based stigma associated with AN.